Close Your Eyes – Interview

Hailing from Abilene, Texas, Close Your Eyes formed in 2005, but it wasn’t until 2008 when they were granted national recognition, and after sweeping 250 newcomers in the Cornerstone “New Band Showcase”. Now, named one of the “Top 100 Bands You Need to Know in 2010” by Alternative Press Magazine. For fans of A Day To Remember and Four Year Strong, Close Your Eyes are sure to continue an already stirring buzz in anticipation of their latest release, ‘We Will Overcome’; which hits the shelves and online stores everywhere on February 16th 2010. In fact, you can download a 100% free track from their forthcoming album on our latest music sampler right here!

We at Rock Lifestyle were extremely excited to speak with guitarist/backing vocalist Brett Callaway about life in the band, their recent label deal and what is sure to be one of 2010’s most exciting albums ‘We Will Overcome’! Read on to find out all about your new favorite band!

Big smiles from Close Your Eyes - Hardcore-Punk's new rising stars!

I think that we really just found our voice on this album compared to other recordings we have done. Everything just flows out and is totally natural to us. – Brett Callaway – Close Your Eyes

A video shot in the band’s hometown of Abilene, Texas for their first single ‘Song For The Broken’, will be released in accordance with the album on February 16, 2010. Here is a ‘making of’ video feature below:

RL: Tell us your story – what is your background and how did it lead to the formation of Close Your Eyes?
BC: I have been playing in bands for a long time. For probably 8 years now. I had just moved to Abilene from Houston and it was a bit of a culture shock to me. I was thinking that I was never going to find guys to start a band with…much less solid musicians that were into the same style as me. I actually saw Shane walking around the cafeteria of the school I had just transferred to wearing an As I Lay Dying shirt, so I went up and talked to him. After a little talking and a little hanging out we started looking for other members to play with and that is how Close Your Eyes started.

RL: What influenced your style most – is there anything unusual or unexpected that inspired you?
BC: We have a huge range of influences and places we draw inspiration from. I think that our most unusual influences are the fact that Andrew and I listen to a lot of Jazz, Classical and Chorale music. You can find it in our music in certain places such as the choir at the end of The Body. And then we just draw inspiration from the things around us. For example I could just be thinking about a particular person and the emotions that my relationship with that person evokes and write a song based on those feelings.

RL: How does it feel to have your new album ready to hit the shelves?
BC: It is awesome! I am super excited! I can’t wait for it to release!

RL: What were your biggest highs and lowest lows during the album making process?
BC: The biggest highs were just hearing everything come together and the lowest lows were probably when we were working so hard and such long hours that a couple of us got ourselves sick from not sleeping enough.

RL: What did you learn about yourselves as a band during the making of this album?
BC: I think that we really just found our voice on this album compared to other recordings we have done. Everything just flows out and is totally natural to us.

RL: Your new record is due out on Victory, you recently signed to the label, is this an exciting alliance for you?
BC: Totally! Victory has been awesome to us and great to work with! I can’t say enough about how hard they work and how much I appreciate everyone over there!

'We Will Overcome' album artwork

If you look at the whole album booklet you will see what I mean. The robot starts lifeless and dead, and then a cloaked man comes by with a lantern and brings the robot to life and lights his heart on fire. It in some ways is speaking about the apathetic society that we live in where we look past the struggles of those living around us and just do not take the time to care about them. – Brett Callaway – Close Your Eyes

RL: The CD has some great artwork – how did you choose the look and theme for this record?
BC: Well it actually just kind of came to my mind, and I am not totally sure why. I was just thinking about imagery that would fit some of the themes that we deal with in the album, and the artwork totally speaks to that. If you look at the whole album booklet you will see what I mean. The robot starts lifeless and dead, and then a cloaked man comes by with a lantern and brings the robot to life and lights his heart on fire. It in some ways is speaking about the apathetic society that we live in where we look past the struggles of those living around us and just do not take the time to care about them. In the same way it talks about how we need a kindling of passion in our own lives and how individually and collectively we need passion returned to our lives and need our hearts set on fire.

RL: What is your favourite track on the record any why?
BC: I love the song digging graves! If rushes at you like a freight train, but is so catchy and accessible that you can just hop right on and ride along. It is just so full of energy and I think that Shane’s vocal performance on the song just totally embodies the ideas being put forth and you can just feel the passion in his voice.

RL: You have stated previous interviews that in the past you have been concerned about being labelled a Christian band, is this still the case?
BC: It is not so much that we are concerned with being labeled as a Christian band, it is more that we just do not advertise it because we do not want to gain fans simply because we are a Christian band. We do not want to try to capitalize on something we take very seriously just to further ourselves. We are never ashamed of what we believe and I will tell anyone anytime they ask me without thinking twice. We just are not in the business of using the Christian faith as a business tool.

Close Your Eyes

Well, MxPx has been my favorite band since I was in 7th grade and I met them lots of times when I went to their shows, but this last fall I finally had a chance to play with them! We played right before them on the main stage at the Self Destruct in the Ozarks Festival. – Brett Callaway – Close Your Eyes

RL: If you could open for any band alive or dead who would it be and why?
BC: Man that is tough! There are so many amazing bands I would love to play with. Haha some of them make more sense to our genre than others. If it did not matter what we sounded like I would absolutely love to play with The Beatles or Queen. As far as closer to our genre probably Stretch Armstrong or With Honor.

RL: What can people expect from a Close Your Eyes live show?
BC: They can expect us to give it our all and leave everything we have out there every night! We play with as much energy and passion as possible.

RL: What has been the strangest most bizarre thing to ever happen while on tour?
BC: Haha some pretty random stuff happens when we are on tour sometimes. We were at cornerstone a couple years ago and a few buddies of ours basically started a huge mob that was going all over the place and chanting random things. They started out with just the 3 of them…but they had a crowd of probably 1000 people by the time they were done. Haha and then we always have the fun times of shooting fireworks out of the car at different random times.

RL: Who was the one band you most wanted to meet when growing up and have you had that opportunity yet?
BC: Well, MxPx has been my favorite band since I was in 7th grade and I met them lots of times when I went to their shows, but this last fall I finally had a chance to play with them! We played right before them on the main stage at the Self Destruct in the Ozarks Festival.

RL: What is the one piece of advice that you wished you had been given when you were starting out?
BC: That this takes just as much hard work on the business side as it does on the songwriting and performance side of being in a band.

Big thank you to Brett Callaway for his time!

Close Your Eyes’ album ‘We Will Overcome’ is out now on victory records and you can also visit the band at their myspace page to hear more!

Written by Liam Thomson